EURO-2012: Ukraine, why bother?

Back in September of 2011 I wrote up my “Travel Advisory Euro-2012”. It seems to me, all joking aside, that someone has heeded this message. However, I highly doubt it! Clearly the powers that be in Ukraine have not been able to convince the world that they actually deserve hosting the European football championships this year. Somehow it comes as no surprise to me that 13 of the 16 teams involved in a glorious sporting event have actually decided to set up their team home-bases not in Ukraine but in Poland! So why is this?

It seems to me, that the national football federations of the countries involved clearly understand that the facilities available in Ukraine are minimal. Why on earth would they want to subjugate their top players to Third World conditions? Yes, Third World conditions!

Ukraine's own Euro-2012 has in fact become one of the sore points for many Ukrainians, and only an idiot could not see this happening over the last 18 months. It is not a secret to anyone that government financed sporting facilities benefit no one, other than those who build them. This is currently a debate in Canada, regarding one hockey arena that certain individuals want to build in Quebec City, in order to try to draw an NHL franchise back to the city. It will not work on public funds, and most in the West know this, however, there were and still are politicos in Canada and Ukraine that always try to manage to obfuscate the truth when dealing with the public.

In Ukraine we know that the public was never involved, to build or reconstruct stadiums in Kyiv and Lviv. Decisions were made in the personal interests, and not in the public's interest. So how much of the public purse was stolen on these ventures by public officials? I'm not keeping an official record now, but I am sure we are not far from possibly a couple of billion dollars! No, not hryvnia but cold hard green backs. The results, in fact, are not very commendable, from many different points of view: be they architectural, engineering, or even more importantly a return on investment and plans to further exploit these apparent architectural wonders! Or should I say eye-sores?

A number of months ago I wrote a letter to Bryan Adams to not participate in the opening of the Lviv Arena. Why he did not participate, the world will never know, but we all know that Ukraine's own top man backed out. Why? We still don't have an answer! I think he feared for his own safety regarding the shoddy workmanship that had taken place at the “Lviv Arena”. Or maybe he just didn't want to be heckled. We know how these criminal types can't handle any type of criticism.

As times goes on, everything becomes very clear, at least for those who have some common sense and understand how public officials abuse their office in Ukraine.

I sent a letter off to Bryan Adams on September 23, 2011; shortly after this I made contact with some leaders in the Ukrainian Diaspora regarding the possibility of a boycott of Euro-2012. The feedback by those who are leaders in the Ukrainian community appalled me; many of them seem to think they actually know what is going on in Ukraine. For the most part they haven't a clue!

“What, boycott EURO-2012, there will be all kinds of small business that will suffer if we do this!” This was one comment I received during my series of phone calls. What small business? Who is this person trying to fool?

The small business this individual spoke about will gain nothing from EURO-2012 except headaches and harassment.

Of all the small businesses that are not under the control of the Yanukovych Regime the following will take place. It happened before under Azarov, when he was chief Tax Man and it will happen again. They will have at least weekly raids, and will be extorting any earnings that are made by small businesses during the EURO-2012 Championships. Has any person from the Diaspora been involved in such raids? I've known many business people in Ukraine who have lived through such a matter and have in fact been present when all service stopped as Tax Police shut down a register as they verbally assaulted and in one case physically assaulted an employee of a restaurant. Have, they ever had to deal with Ukraine's tax police at all? Do you want to put people under such pressure? That is what I have to ask those who are against boycotting EURO-2012? How about you go up against those thugs? Do any of you have the balls for it, in a land where the Rule of Law doesn't exist? Sorry folks, this isn't just IRS psychological play or pressure, the thugs from the Tax Police in Ukraine have no qualms about hitting you or a co-worker over the head with a night stick! Or even better they won't hit you over the head they will hit you in the kidneys in such a manner that there will be no bruises to show anyone, and it will be your word against theirs in a system that will not side with you but with the authorities.

The current regime is a criminal one; I think that this was long ago established. Those in power completely neglect the Rule of Law, and we all know that there are plenty of the nation's lawmakers sheltering themselves from being judged by whatever kind of judicial system exists in Ukraine by hiding behind their immunity as People's Deputies of Ukraine.

While the average tourists who visit Ukraine on their own gives a decent indication of what is available if one is on a budget, which most football fans are clearly aware of. For their money they will receive substandard service for anything less than 200 euro a night. This shows just how far Ukraine has come in the area of tourism. In 2001 on the outskirts of Vienna I spent 20 Euros a night with breakfast. And within the last six months the same friend who arranged that stay, told me that now it would cost me about 30 euros a night, and this includes a sumptuous breakfast. If someone can point out such places in Ukraine I would be glad to promote them, but I fear if they exist many of them can only deal in two languages: Ukrainian and Russian. But even still what the average tourist expects and what can be provided for elite athletes are worlds apart. Yes, footballers are elite athletes, and their needs are a great deal different than the average individual.

Regardless, it is now very clear that Ukraine, buy the decision of professionals will not be able to host the most of the athletes participating in the EURO-2012 Championships, and this I am certain my dear readers not based on politics whatsoever, but on concrete facts. If anyone, in the tourism industry that truly understands the capabilities of Ukraine would speak up, and not just in a way that carries the official line of the government, then we would learn that Ukraine is not only unprepared for EURO-2012, but that it will in fact probably create a much more negative image of the country. The peace and love of EURO-CAMP in 2005 on Trukhaniv Island during the Eurovision Song Contest after the euphoria of the Orange (R)evolution is not what football fans are expecting, and they surely most are not expecting to pay € 55 a night in a two person tent. This is what is being proposed by one Kyiv-based booking agency.

So who will benefit at all from tourism during an event that is meant to celebrate sport? Clearly it won't be the average individual in Ukraine, nor will it be the average small business owner. The decision by 13 of the 16 national football teams who have decided to set up their home base camps in Poland sends a very clear message. Stay away from Ukraine. The money you spend there will not help the common people but only a few who already have more money than they know what to do with.

Vasyl Pawlowsky
Independent Consultant

The commentary of this was first published on the Ukraine Business Online site.

It's that time again....

Well, it's once again time to play: Name That Tune! No in all seriousness, or silliness, when it comes to true hardcore music fans and musicians, the time has come around for the 2009 version of the Eurovision Song Contest, now in its 54th year.

Now let's go down to ringside here at the WMSC (World Mudslinging Song Contest) to hear he announcer's opening words. "In the right corner representing the host country of Russia, last year's Eurovision winner, we have from Ukraine, Anastasia Prykhodko singing Mamo. Her opponent in the left corner, formerly of Via Gra, Russia's T&A project for the 21st century, we have Svitlana Loboda!"

In all honesty folks, this is really what this whole thing has come down to, for all it's worth. In fact some Russians are fuming that a Ukrainian, would be representing them at this year's ESC and sing not in solely Russian or English for that matter, but heaven forbid, the chorus of her song in Ukrainian using the vocative case, which doesn't exist in the Russian language... You can read about the accusations of vote rigging at The Times Online.

As equally crazy is the fact that Georgia's ESC entry is a flash back to when disco was the craze, with a little bit of a new twist. It is mocking the name of the former Russian President Vladimir Putin, The Times Online reported it here. But just for a good laugh watch its right here for your vomiting pleasure.

Eastern Europe and its influence on Eurovision

Over the last couple of years we have witnessed a change in the type of music which is being presented at the Eurovision Song Competition, and it would be fair to say that much of the change began to happen with Ruslana's win back in 2004 in Istanbul. Ruslana's winning performance introduced ethnic elements into the competition which previously were less present.

New countries to break onto the Eurovision scene in 2005 included bands like Zdob şi Zdub of Moldova and Kaffe of Bulgaria. They brought a new flavor to the made-for-tv song contest. And while the 2006 Eurovision Song contest didn't feature as many ethnic influences, the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest did seem to have many more such elements present.

I think things will get much more interesting during the next couple of years. More diversity, more good music, and more quality. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Serbia wins the Eurovision 2007 Song Contest

Being from North American, where the European Broadcast Union has little or no influence, I only came to know about the contest after doing an interview with Ruslana back in 2002 or 2003.

Together with friends I watched the Song Contest from Istanbul at a friends apartment, in fact this was only Ukraine's second time participating in the Contest and needless to say we were all overjoyed when Ruslana came out on top, and bringing the contest to Kyiv.

There was a great deal of debate on whether Ukraine would be capable of hosting the 50th Eurovision Song Contest, but it turned out that they did a very good job of it. I was fortunate to see much of the workings of the inside of this Contest having been hired by UT1,to work on the editorial staff of the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest's website.

Actually this year Eurovision was one of the farthest things from my mind, and rather than a planned viewing, I together with some friends joined Rotaract Kyiv on a boat cruise on the Dnipro. After the cruise we decided to hit the Golden Gate Pub for a night cap, it was packed so we headed down Prorizna to the Drum.

When the three of us walked in, it was only then that it dawned on me that last night was the 52nd Annual Eurovision Song Contest.

We ordered our beverages and watched the remaining competitors and made our own evaluations of who should win. We collectively selected... We felt that the group from Germany wasn't bad, that the French group was silly bubble gum glam pop, and that the Brit's had a British Airways commercial as their participant.

When the Serbian group came out I knew within the first couple of bars of Marija ŠERIFOVIĆ powerful vocals that these people stood a pretty good chance. When someone asked me if I was rooting for Verka Serduchka I laughed. Why, she, he it, is an embarrassment to the the talent that we actually have in this country. I think I will suggest he read my blog, to better understand where I come from on these types of matters.

While the competition has become a good venue for Eastern Europe countries to break on to the scene, most countries with developed music industries often scoff at the idea that a musician would compete in such a made-for-TV contest.

It was an extremely tight vote in the end, and yes, for the first time ever I voted in Eurovision, and I voted for Serbia.

My friends were tired and left before the voting was over but I held out to the end. A good Slovak-Hungarian friend seemed to also be rooting for countries in what was once known as Yugoslavia.

After he and other friends had left and the results were final I text messaged a number of friends with him being amongst them. His response was:

Yeah. Volim Srbia!

I was glad to see that winning song was Molitva sang by Marija ŠERIFOVIĆ and that power and quality won out over the kitschy bad taste of Andriy Danylko's performance.

Revanche on Eurovision

Well last Friday night it was made official. Verka Serduchka the stage name of Andriy Danylko was chosen to represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest. Does this come as a surprise to anyone? I would say it doesn't. It just goes to show the low level of professionalism at the First National Television channel of Ukraine.

True, in most countries with well developed music industries, musicians do not even consider entering the Eurovision Song Contest, a made for television show showcasing talents of the different countries who are members of the European Broadcast Union.

Clearly Ukraine doesn't have a developed music industry, but nor does it have seasons music listeners who understand top class music.

Unfortunately back in 2005 Mykola Tomenko made a political decision to put forth Green Jolly for the Eurovision Song Contest. Well as a result two years later we have Verka Serduchka...